A man carried out brutal attacks on his partner in Bolton including while she was pregnant with their child.

Kieran Hilland carried out the violence between October last year and January 2023.

Bolton Crown Court heard his  now former partner had been forced to lie in the foetal position due to the fear she had for the unborn baby.

The court also heard that his partner had given birth but the child had died aged just six weeks.

Enquiries into the cause of death are ongoing.

Hilland first became violent in October when he grabbed her and pushed her down the stairs causing her to hit a baby safety guard.

He struck again when she asked permission to see an old friend.

When he found out the friend was male he grabbed her face and asked if she was being unfaithful.

As he struck her she asked him to stop as she was pregnant but he continued.

In December Hilland found out she was logging her injuries on Snapchat.

He then grabbed her wrist and spat in her face.

Later that month he attacked her again and she crawled into a foetal position to protect the baby.

In January this year he strangled her for 30 seconds and she had to force her finger between his hand and her neck to be able to breath.

Juliet Berry, prosecuting, said during this incident: “She feared the defendant was going to kill her.”

Later that month he struck her again and she was unable to feel the baby and went on to grab her hair and push her onto the wall.

Hilland, 23, appeared in court after admitting two counts of common assault, three counts of actual bodily harm and two counts of intentional strangulation.

Michael James, defending, described the relationship as “toxic” and said Hilland had witnessed domestic abuse in his youth.

He said: “He realises he had put others through the same behaviour.

“He wishes to say he did not intent to harm the baby though clearly there was that risk.”

Judge Nicholas Clarke KC blasted his behaviour.

He said: “Kieran Hilland you are a brute and a bully who has behaved in a most disgraceful way towards your former partner who had the misfortune to start a relationship with you in the summer of last year.

“I have no doubt your behaviour will haunt her for many years to come.”

He jailed him for three years and three months and applied a restraining order against his victim, who was present in court to run indefinitely.

The judge thanked her for her attendance, offered her condolences for the loss of her baby and said he would never see or hear from him ever again.